


Life Among the Undead

by Annide



Series: 1998, or the year everything changed [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2019-01-16 14:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12344223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annide/pseuds/Annide
Summary: The Ghosts' stories: The Battle of Hogwarts affected many people alive, but also dead. The ghosts' lives were just as affected by the events of that night as they welcomed a newcomer among their ranks.





	Life Among the Undead

_Moaning Myrtle_

                It was shortly after the Battle ended. Myrtle had left her bathroom and assisted to Harry Potter finally defeating Lord Voldemort. It pleased her very much, not only because she liked Harry and enjoyed seeing him in action, but she felt a nice sensation of closure from the fact the man responsible for her death was finally gone as well. For good this time.

                She'd been dealing with things a lot better in the past few years, ever since Harry and his friends discovered and revealed the real story of what happened to her. It helped to know the truth and occasionally talk to other people. Of course, she didn't see a lot of Harry, Ron and Hermione after their second year at Hogwarts. They stopped visiting regularly after they solved the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets. She knew they were very busy, but she missed the company.

                And so she started moving around the castle more. That's how she ran into Cedric Diggory, then Harry to her pleasant surprise, in the prefects' bathroom. That's also how she met Draco Malfoy two years later. He was in a bad place and they got to know each other, became friends even. All of this was good, but still, she felt lonely. Alive people always ended up going away, and they couldn't understand what it was like being dead. She tried befriending other ghosts, without success. They were all significantly older when they died, most so long ago they didn't live in the same kind of society. It was hard finding a real friend, one she could truly connect with. She already had plenty of trouble with that when she was alive and surrounded by people her own age.

                Until the Battle of Hogwarts that is.

                Everything had ended a few hours ago. Most people had either left or were in the Great Hall saying a last goodbye to their friends and family members who didn't make it. Myrtle was on her way back to her bathroom when she heard someone talking. Who could possibly be wandering around the empty hallways alone after everything that happened that night?

                "Nick? Nick? Sir Nicholas?"

                As she got closer, Myrtle could hear more clearly the voice of a teenage boy, most certainly looking to talk to a ghost after losing a loved one. It happened regularly, and Nearly Headless Nick was one of the most often questioned because of his friendliness to students and desire to be of service.

                "Sir Nicholas? Please, I need to talk to you!"

                She could hear him perfectly now, she must've almost caught up with him. What she couldn't hear though were his footsteps and when she turned a corner and finally saw him, she immediately knew why.

                "I've never seen you around before. Not that I go out that much or claim to have met every ghost in the castle, but I feel like another teenager would be something I'd know about."

                "I think I heard of you. Are you the girl who died the first time the Chamber of Secrets opened? I don't know of any other ghost who were as young as you when it happened. I can't remember your name though."

                "Myrtle. Of course, everyone calls me Moaning Myrtle, so why don't you join in and mock me for being stupid enough to get myself killed so early in life."

                "I'm Colin. I don't think you could've done anything to prevent your death. I almost died the same way in my first year, but because I looked at the basilisk through my camera, I was only petrified for a few months. And if anyone's stupid for dying so young it's me. McGonagall said only wizards of age should stay for the Battle, but I wanted to help Harry defeat Voldemort and I thought 16 is as good as 17, so I stayed. And a Death Eater killed me. I died by my own fault."

                "You died last night?"

                "Yeah, I was hoping Nick could help me with the whole ghost thing."

                "Why him?"

                "He's my house ghost and he seems pretty friendly."

                "So you were a Gryffindor, like Harry Potter."

                "Yeah, we were sort of friends. He was a year ahead of me, and we didn't really spend that much time together, but I think we can say that anyway. What house were you?"

                "Ravenclaw."

                They stayed silent for a while as Colin seemed to look for the courage to ask something he'd been wondering about ever since his body was found.

                "Was it weird being here and seeing your classmates around all the time, going on with their lives when you couldn't?"

                "Sometimes, but eventually they left. Except for Rubeus Hagrid, constant reminder of the life I didn't get to have, of what happened to me."

                "Hagrid was one of your classmates?"

                "Yeah, but we weren't friends or anything. Neither of us had many friends at all."

                "Well, you have me now."

                "Really?" Myrtle felt very excited to finally have found a friend.

                "So, you know Harry?"

                "Yes, we hung out a bit. But he seemed very self-centered, always more interested in whatever was going on in his life than he was talking to me, unless I could be of some help to him of course."

                "He did have really big things going on the past few years. I just died fighting in a Battle against You-Know-Who for him. I don't even know how it turned out."

                "Harry defeated him. We won."

                "Awesome! I knew he could do it."

                "What is it? You don't look all that happy."

                "I wish I could've seen my family one last time, celebrate with them."

                "I'm sure you will. When I died, my parents had to come back here to talk to the headmaster about what happened, yours should too. I hid from them though. I didn't want them to know I became a ghost."

                "It's probably better this way. Otherwise, they would always want to come back here and see you, they could never move on."

                "Yeah, that's why I did it."

                "Oh no."

                "What?"

                "My brother. He goes to school here. He still has three more years, four if they make him retake the one we just missed. How am I supposed to hide from him?"

                "I can help you. And other ghosts too. Nearly-Headless-Nick is great at helping students from his house, I'm sure he'll be happy to help you now. Let's look for him."

                Colin followed Myrtle around the castle, still not used to floating. It didn't take long before they starting racing around in the hallways, passing through walls, having a little fun on the empty floors of the castle. Everyone was still down in the Great Hall, or near there. The only others up there were ghosts who wouldn't blame a constantly sad Myrtle and a newly dead Colin for a short moment of joy. Most of them would likely be glad Myrtle finally made a friend.

                Loud sobbing which came from a nearby classroom stopped them in their tracks after a while. They entered slowly to see who was there. They found the Fat Friar with his arm around a crying Peeves. It felt strange seeing the poltergeist in such a state, he who usually never stopped playing pranks on people no matter what. Peeves not laughing was a disturbing sight.

                "Did someone you insulted fire back, Peeves? You're mad you finally got what you deserved?" Myrtle asked.

                Colin looked shocked. Like he never thought Myrtle could be so insensitive. Shouldn't someone who gets her feelings hurt so easily at least be trying not to do the same to others? Sometimes, but, in others, revenge felt good. In any way, Colin disapproved.

                "Myrtle!" The Fat Friar protested. "I know Peeves hasn't been particularly nice to you in the past, but this is going too far. He is really sad."

                "What happened?" Colin wondered.

 

_Peeves_

                They had won. The Battle was over and that Potter kid had killed Voldemort. Peeves was singing his joy at the top of his lungs. He was floating around through the castle, expressing his contentment at the outcome of this war. He wasn't the only one happy. He could see signs of relief and happiness all around. This year had been such a downer. No one laughed, everyone looked sad or angry and the new staff was really mean, to him and to the students. Peeves was ecstatic he'd get the old Hogwarts back.

                As he was floating in the Entrance Hall, still singing his victory song, Peeves noticed one of the Weasleys, looking particularly heartbroken. Out of curiosity, he followed him into the Great Hall where most of the others were gathered around a body. He came closer, floating over their heads and then he saw it. It was Fred. Peeves had always been fond of the twins and found himself distraught at the sight of one of them lying lifeless on the floor.

                "George, my friend, my sympathies for the loss of your brother. You know how I liked him."

                George gave him a grateful nod and Peeves left, holding his sobs until he was out of the Great Hall.

 

_Fat Friar_

                The Fat Friar was floating around the Great Hall, trying his best to comfort students and others who had lost friends and family members during the Battle. He stopped talking mid-sentence when he saw Peeves the poltergeist floating towards the exit much faster than he usually did, and looking quite upset. He followed him into the Entrance Hall and approached him as soon as he started crying.

                "Come with me, let's go somewhere more private."

                They went into an empty classroom where Peeves told him what happened and the Fat Friar listened and encouraged him to let his feelings out. He was surprised to see Moaning Myrtle come in with another ghost, a boy. She was always alone and rarely outside of her bathroom.

                "What happened?" The boy ghost asked.

                "Fred Weasley died. Peeves liked him and he's very upset. You shouldn't stay if you're not going to be supportive."

                "She was rude, I didn't say anything."

                "Who are you? I've never seen you floating around the castle before."

                "Floating around, no," Peeves finally stopped crying to say, "but you probably have seen him around. He was a student here. Am I right? You just died a little while ago during the Battle?"

                "Yes. I came back to fight and got killed. I'm Colin."

                "Oh. I'm very sorry to hear that, Colin. Let me know if there's anything you need." The Fat Friar said.

                "I was looking for Nearly-Headless-Nick. He's my house ghost and I need to talk to him. Have you seen him?"

                "I believe he was still in the Great Hall, where I should go back myself now that Peeves is feeling better. Shall we go there together?"

                "My family might be there, with my body,  I don't want them to see me like this."

                "I understand perfectly. I'll tell Sir Nicholas to come find you. See you later, then."

                "Thank you for your help."

                The Fat Friar left, eager to go back to comfort more people. He was followed by Peeves, still looking sad, and Moaning Myrtle, who probably had enough interacting with others for a while.

 

_Nearly Headless Nick_

                Sir Nicholas followed everyone to the Great Hall as soon as the Battle ended. The Fat Friar was already there, it seemed he hadn't left the place ever since they started bringing the dead and injured here. He roamed around the room, like most other ghosts, answering questions and sharing words of comfort when needed.

                He had seen many people come and go during his stay at Hogwarts, but never so many at a time, in such a permanent way. The celebration of Lord Voldemort finally vanquished was tarnished by all the lives that had to be sacrificed to achieve so. Students, so young, who would never finish their studies, families ripped apart, teachers who couldn't decide where to help first. Sir Nicholas himself was floating aimlessly, letting people call for him as they saw him pass by. He noticed the Fat Friar's absence at some point, unable to tell how long he'd been gone. It was odd that the Hufflepuff ghost would be anywhere other than here, where grief was happening and people needed comforting.

                Just as he was about to ask the Grey Lady about it, the Fat Friar reappeared, coming right to him. It seemed the services of Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington were required upstairs by a young and brave Gryffindor boy who had perished in battle. He, of course, went right away.

                "Nick! This is terrible, I can't take pictures anymore, or eat, or talk to my brother, or friends, or anything."

                "Oh, Colin, my poor friend, I know it is a difficult transition. Dying is not easy and neither it is to stay as a mere relic of the person you used to be."

                "I wasn't ready, Nick. I was too young to go, I had too much left to live for. I couldn't do it, I couldn't just go."

                "And for that you are condemned to an eternity of haunting the halls of this castle, watching kids your age come and go, growing into people ready for the outside world, something you will never get to be."

                "It's so unfair. I worked so hard, and my parents were so proud of me. I can't believe I wasn't meant for more. I could've become a photographer for the Daily Prophet, I could've had a family of my own, there are just so many things I won't get to do. All those Death Eaters who get to go on and I don't. It was their fault, but I'm paying for it. How is it fair? How is any of it fair?"

                "It isn't. Death is never fair, Colin. However, there is nothing that we can do about it, except accept our fate. Eternity is a long time and you don't want to spend it being mad about this. You can take a few days to feel your pain and grieve your human life, but then you need to let it go and figure out what you will do with your death."

                "What about the people I care about? My parents, my brother, my friends?"

                "They will do the same. They will all be sad for a while, but eventually, they will move on with their lives. They won't ever forget you, of course, and they will still get a little sad sometimes, feel nostalgic of the time they had with you, but they have to do something with their lives. The same way you would if you were the one who'd stayed alive."

                Colin nodded. He seemed to understand there would be ups and downs, and the next few years, until his brother Dennis left Hogwarts, would be the hardest. Sir Nicholas had words of encouragements for him though, one day more Creevey children might come and he could meet his nieces and nephews. Colin would live forever, and he would be able to guide generation upon generation of his family through their years at Hogwarts. For now, however, Sir Nicholas led him around the castle to meet the ghosts he may not have had a chance to get to know much as a member of the living.


End file.
